The Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce has decided to resurrect the Chili Cook-off that it held for over five years in the village after a one-year hiatus. It was very popular, but a lot of work, says Tanya DeLong, the president of the Chamber Board of Directors.
It is set for Saturday, February 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., just as the Frostbite Run sprints into action at 11 a.m., from a huge tent that will be set up at the corner of W. Prairie and Michigan Ave. This fun run has been on-going since Ann Maltby and her family started it in 2009. For the first time, runners will be able to get ready in the heated tent and end up back in the same, according to Jonathan Langworthy, the race director for the last two years.
“We’ve moved up the time of the race to 11 a.m. to coincide with the Chamber’s event, not to mention the opportunity to keep a bit warmer,” he said. Registration can take place online before Friday, Feb. 6, then at race headquarters on Saturday morning.
After the race, runners will be fed and those watching and cheering can choose a can of beer or pop to go with their samples of chili, according to DeLong. Vicksburg area restaurants will vie for prizes, from fan favorite to the juried prize for best individual chili. The tent holds about 450 people at any given time, so the Chamber planners have decided to keep things going several hours into the afternoon before closing down and announcing the prize winners at about 5 p.m.
